New Beginnings
by DHP-wodub
Summary: Beginning at Holiday Break, the Degrassi students are face to face with breakups, makeups, and everything in between. Will each student recognize their true calling and realize where they were meant to be all along? Or will things change greatly for the b
1. Default Chapter

New Beginnings  
  
**Chapter 1-New Year's Resolutions**  
  
Author's note: Hey everybody!!!! Please keep in mind that this is a joint fanfic, meaning there are two authors writing this story, Ari and Lizzy. Please give props to BOTH authors!!! Thanks ahead of time. Oh, and we hope you like the story!!!  
  
(Ashley and Ellie are going to the big New Year's bash at Craig's house. Joey and Caitlin are out for the weekend "rekindling" their relationship so Craig invites all his friends-and enemies-to the party. Ashley and Ellie are almost there, while the party is just beginning.)  
  
"Ellie, I don't know why I let you talk me into this," Ashley said, shaking her short auburn brown hair. "You know how I feel after what happened before the break with Craig and everything. I never feel like seeing him ever again." Ellie's platform boots plopped into a puddle as she strode along the sidewalk beside Ashley.  
  
"Ashley, don't sweat it. We're going to this party to have fun right? If that's what we planned, that's what we're going to do. Besides," Ellie said thoughtfully, breathing in the frosty late December air, "I'm the one who usually worries, remember? So just forget it."  
  
"Alright, but you have to promise me you won't say anything about Craig, or .. Her." Ashley said, her voice tapering off.  
  
"Oh, you mean that little. interesting grade 9 named Manny right? I don't recall."  
  
"Ellie!!!! Stop it!! Just thinking about the little "love triangle" makes me cringe. And don't pretend that you don't know what-or who-I'm talking about," Ashley said, her cheeks flaming in the icy falling snow.  
  
"Okay, okay, sorry about that. Anyways, we better walk faster, I have a feeling they're already starting to count down," Ellie said, glancing at her punk-metal clad watch.  
  
"Yeah," Ashley said with a chuckle, "I can already see Spinner's spray- cheese smeared face."  
  
"And Paige's dreamy smile at the sight of it." Ellie joked.  
  
"Nice," Ashley said, gently punching Ellie in the arm.  
  
Meanwhile at the party, everyone was enjoying themselves, except for a certain curly- haired boy named Craig.  
  
"Manny, please talk to me. I promise you I'll dump her tonight. I love you. Not her. You," he said, tugging on her arm. She turned to face him.  
  
"How do I know that you aren't lying to me, Craig?" She asked. "How do I know you're not back with Ashley again? You're so unreliable that I don't even know when to believe you're telling the truth," Manny hissed.  
  
"Manny. I swear I'm not lying. If I don't dump Ash tonight, then you will never have to speak to me again. I promise."  
  
"Craig, this is your last chance, okay? If you can't get it together tonight, then forget it."  
  
Meanwhile, Ellie and Ash decided to grab some food at the Dot, knowing that it was open late because of tonight's' occasion. By the time they were done eating, they had about ten minutes to get to Craig's.  
  
"We are on a serious time crunch," Ellie exclaimed. "We've got to go!" They made it to Craig's house with about five minutes to spare. When they stepped in, Ashley turned to see Craig. He had spotted her. He dashed over to her.  
  
"Ash, we need to talk. Could you excuse us, Ellie?"  
  
"Uh, sure." And she made her way over to the punch bowl.  
  
"Ashley, things aren't working out between us. I'm sure you could tell, but these last few weeks haven't been as great as the rest of it has. I know you can feel it."  
  
"I know, Craig. I just can't believe you would actually do that to me! I thought that you were caring and compassionate. I guess I was wrong."  
  
"That isn't it Ash, it's just not as good as it could be, and I don't know why. I'm really sorry, but, it's over. I've found that I really cared for someone else all along, and I am just realizing it."  
  
"Whatever, Craig." By this time, Ashley eyes were sparkling with tears. She stalked towards the punch bowl and grabbed Ellie. "Let's go Ellie. He only invited me to dump me."  
  
"How 'bout I stay with you tonight?"  
  
"Ok."  
  
Craig was relieved that his ordeal was over. He was somewhat sad about what he had done, but he knew that he wouldn't be able to deal if Manny wasn't talking to him. He didn't know why, but, he couldn't get his mind off of her.  
  
"Okay everyone, TEN SECONDS!!!" Spinner shouted, while grabbing Paige in a quick bear hug.  
  
"TEN!!!! Everyone screamed. He had to find Manny. "NINE!!!!!" "EIGHT!!!!" "SEVEN!!!" "SIX!!!" "FIVE!!!" "FOUR!!"  
  
"Manny! Craig shouted "Did you do it?"  
  
"THREE!!!" TWO!!"  
  
"Yeah! I did!" he exclaimed.  
  
"ONE!!!"  
  
Manny jumped into his arms, wrapping her legs around his waist. At the same time, she gave him a sweet, tender, kiss.  
  
"Happy New Year," she said breathlessly when they broke apart. And she lowered her head for another kiss.  
  
Ashley scanned the room just before she left, amidst the partying and laughing. She quickly eyed Craig and Manny snuggled up in a distant corner, rolled her eyes furiously, and simpered out the door with a slam.  
  
"Some New Year," she muttered to herself with Ellie close behind. Ellie's eyeshadow-dusted eyelids fluttered over to Ashley's mascara tear-covered face.  
  
"Did you say something, Ashley," Ellie asked quietly.  
  
"No.. nothing.. Just happy New Year, Ellie," Ashley sniffed. Ellie smiled softly, and from then on the only thing Ashley could hear was the distant pounding in her sore heart. 


	2. New BeginningsCh2The Sweetest Things to ...

New Beginnings

Chapter 2 – The Sweetest Things to Say

Rain pounded softly on the roof of Craig's garage where Manny sat on the couch, waiting for a certain someone.

"Craig! I missed you." Manny greeted with a smile playing upon her lips.

"Hey." Craig closed the door to the garage. He sat down on the couch and she scooted closer towards him. She leaned forward, but before she could do anything, Craig pressed a finger to her lips.

"Manny, I wanted to apologize."

"For what?"

"For putting you through all of this with Ash, especially before Christmas. I may have not realized it before, but I love you Manny. I can't believe how blind I was not to see that in the first place. I mean, you're smart, pretty, and I was so stupid not to see that in you. Please forgive me.

"Craig, you don't have to explain anymore. I knew in the end things would work out, and I know you really do love me. And besides," she added, her round dimples glittering in the light," I'm just so crazy about you I don't know what to do with myself. I love you Craig, more than anyone else. Ever." 

Her cinnamon eyes bored into his, as if she was peering through a window to his soul. She leaned forward, and her lips met his in a heated kiss. He ran his tongue along her lower lip and was accepted entry into her mouth. Manny grabbed fistfuls of Craig's shirt as she pulled him down towards where she lay on the couch. He began to plant butterfly kisses along her jawline. "Ooh… I like..." Manny purred. He continued to kiss her all the way down to her neck, and along her collarbone, before he made it back up to her wonderful mouth. After quite a few minutes of passionate…ahem…endeavors, Manny pulled Craig into a sweet hug. 

Meanwhile, at the Dot, Emma Nelson was sitting alone at the front counter, waiting on her order, while sipping a chocolate milkshake. A repetitive tinkling of a bell signaled yet another customer's entrance. Emma paused and averted her eyes to the door, to see who it could be. Lo and Behold, it was none other than Chris Sharpe, who she'd recently been trying to avoid. For a second her mind flew back to the night at the rave, a night she wanted to forget altogether.

'I might as well bite the bullet and do this,' she thought nervously. She eyed Chris coming toward her, and nonchalantly continued to sip her bubbling shake.

"Hey Emma," Chris said quietly.

"Chris, before you say anything else I need to tell you…"

"Yeah?"

"I'm really sorry about the rave. It's just that… Well… I like you... A lot… But I didn't know you had a girlfriend and I didn't want to get you in trouble or anything." Chris rubbed his forehead and smiled softly.

"Emma, don't worry about it. Besides that, I never got to tell you because you ran off so fast. I dumped Melinda after you ran off. I wanted to find you, but you were gone." Emma bit her lip nervously and blushed. All of the sudden she felt so stupid, something she wasn't used to feeling.

"I hope I didn't cause that. I'm sorry for messing up everything. I just-, Emma broke off breathlessly." 

"Shhh. You didn't mess up anything. I really haven't been able to get along with Melinda for the past few weeks. I was gonna dump her anyway. Plus, I've had my eyes on someone else for a while." 

Emma was taken aback. She had just professed her true feelings about him, and he was going on about some other girl! How could he be so insensitive?

"She has medium length blond hair, brown eyes, a beautiful smile, and a great personality," Chris rambled while fiddling with the bottle of ketchup on the counter.

"She seems great," Emma brightly chirped, although inside, she felt quite the opposite.

"You know what the best part about it is?"

"What?" Emma choked out. She couldn't believe he was actually going to tell her who it was.

"It's you,' he whispered.

"Wh-What?"

"You, Emma. All along, it's been you." Emma blushed sweetly and blinked her eyes, as if they were ready to well with tears.

"M-me? But wait. What about Melinda?

"The only reason I dated her was because my cousin, Jacob, pressured me into it."

"But Chris, how could it be me? I -"

"Hush, Emma." He could tell that she was nervous. "'Look. There is no explanation for this." He leaned in and kissed her. Emma suddenly found a pair of soft lips upon hers, and her common sense went right out the window. She couldn't tell whether she was going or coming. All she knew was that she had never felt the same way she did at that moment. Ever.

"I suppose some change _is_ good,' Emma silently mused while pulling Chris back to her for another kiss. A moment later, the got up and walked out of the Dot, hand in hand. 

Glittering stars dusted the sky as night fell, and Ashley finally came out of her room for the first time in quite a few days. Her cheeks were stained with traces of mascara and her eyes were puffy and red. She couldn't believe that she hadn't gotten over Craig. She turned the thought over and over in her mind, and ended up going back in her room to slaughter a pillow. Just as she was finishing the massacre, her phone rang. She cried furiously and let it ring. Eventually, her voicemail came on. 

'This is Ashley Kerwin. Sorry I'm not in, but if you'd like to leave a message, please wait till after the beep. Thanks, and I'll talk to you as soon as I can. _Beep_.'

Ashley's earring-studded ears perked up at the caller leaving a message spoke up. She held her breath in apprehension, wondering if it was who she thought it was-Craig. Instead, it was Paige's bubbly chatter, filling the room.

"Hey hon, it's Paige. I saw what happened between you and Craig at the Holidays Around the World festival at school-well, everyone did-and I felt _so_ sorry for you. Don't worry about it, because guys are just _so_ not worth it sometimes. Craig was a jerk anyways... but just forget about it. Bye, and don't forget to call me back!!"

The answering machine clicked off, and Ashley's eyes welled up with tears.

"He _was_ a jerk, wasn't he?" Ashley asked herself, playing with the fringe on her bedspread. She wiped away the stray tears and flopped on her back against a pillow. Snow was falling steadily out her window, and she glanced at the clock. She knew she had to get over Craig sooner or later-but just because she had to get over him didn't mean she couldn't get back at him for what he did to her...


End file.
